Take a Malay getaway to Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is a busy, diverse city that's not only a fun place to visit, it's cheap too!

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The food is amazing

Malaysian cuisine is flavourful and diverse, and KL offers everything from fresh street food to fine dining. A great way to sample delicious dishes is to go on a self-guided KL Food Trail adventure. Covering several areas including Brickfields, Kampong Bharu and Pudu, as well as Jalan Alor for local Chinese delicacies, the easy route allows you to sample the best of KL at your own pace. Pick up a free Food Trail map at visitor centres, shopping malls and hotels, or online at visitkl.gov.my. If you’re hungry and time is tight, head directly to Lot 10 Hutong, which houses 30 of KL’s best hawker stalls under one roof.

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The shopping is fab

After you’ve taken in a bird’s-eye view of KL on the Petronas Towers Skybridge and Observation Deck, head downstairs and next door to Suria KLCC shopping mall for some serious retail therapy. Suria KLCC and the nearby Pavillion KL shopping mall have hundreds of retailers, from high end (think Hermes and Coach) to high street. Already cheaper than our prices, you can expect further discounts every year at the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival from June to August and the 1Malaysia Year End Sale in November and December. Take an empty suitcase!

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There’s adventure on every corner

Explore the city by bicycle, with Bike with Elena, which runs various tours in KL. Try the four-and-a-half-hour Hidden Secrets of Kuala Lumpur tour, which visits markets and an array of districts. It’s the perfect way to get to know the city at a leisurely pace. The tour costs $79 including lunch and refreshments. For info, see bikewithelena.wordpress.com. If you want some respite from the big city, head over to KL Forest Eco Park (also known as Bukit Nanas), located at the foot of the KL Tower. It’s the city’s last remaining patch of tropical rainforest. Here you can spy two types of monkey, monitor lizards and numerous species of birds. Best of all, it’s free.

Andrea BlackTravel, design and interiors writer Andrea Black embraces maximalism in the home, prefers mid-century modern style furniture and likes to hunt down vintage pieces. She specialises in travel relating to design, history, architecture and music. When visiting a city she will track down vintage vinyl record stores and bring home a local release.